St. Bernardus Abt 12 (2019) Belgian Quadrupel

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

The 2019 vintage of St. Bernardus Abt 12 pours deep mahogany beneath a billowing tan crown, releasing aromas of raisin, fig, and dark candi sugar laced with whispers of clove and ripe banana. The palate unfolds with layered complexity: stewed dark fruit, plum, and date meet rich caramel and toasted bread crust, while soft Belgian yeast esters lend warming spice. Bottle conditioning has rounded the edges, knitting the malt depth into a seamless whole. The finish is bittersweet and lingering, with gentle alcohol warmth and a final echo of brown sugar and orchard fruit.

Food Pairing

Pair with aged Trappist cheeses such as Chimay Grand Cru or a nutty Gouda, where the beer’s caramel sweetness mirrors the cheese’s crystalline richness. Equally rewarding alongside slow-braised short ribs or duck confit, as the dark-fruit complexity and candi sugar depth complement caramelized meats and rich, savory sauces beautifully.

About St. Bernardus Brewery

St. Bernardus Brewery, founded in 1946 in the village of Watou, Belgium, has earned its place among the world’s most revered craft breweries through an extraordinary historical connection to Trappist brewing tradition. The brewery’s origins trace back to 1945, when the nearby Westvleteren Abbey ceased commercial beer sales and granted a license to the former Refuge Notre Dame de St. Bernard cheese factory to produce beer using their authentic recipes, yeast strain, and brewing expertise. Under the guidance of Mathieu Szafranski, the brew master from St. Sixtus monastery, St. Bernardus brewed and sold genuine Trappist beers under license until 1992, when regulations restricted the Trappist designation exclusively to monastery-brewed products. Since then, St. Bernardus has continued crafting its distinguished range using the same time-honored recipes and traditional brewing methods, maintaining remarkable fidelity to the original Westvleteren style. The brewery specializes in complex, bottle-conditioned Belgian ales that showcase the depth and character of authentic abbey-style brewing. This unique heritage makes St. Bernardus one of the rare commercial breweries producing beers considered virtually identical to some of Belgium’s most sought-after and difficult-to-obtain Trappist offerings.